I'm NEVER going back to Alaska again!!
I'm NEVER going back to Alaska again!! π€π« I have so much to vent about β Anchorage exceeded expectations, but Fairbanks fell way short. Anchorage Highlights: The two most recommended activities in Anchorage are glacier hiking and Alyeska Nordic Spa. π§ Glacier hiking wasnβt as cold as I imagined, but thick gloves, a face mask, and ear covers are must-haves. Actually, donβt wear too many layers β it can hinder movement during the hike. π² Alyeska Nordic Spa was the best environment of our entire Alaska trip β highly recommended! After going, we skipped Chena Hot Springs (heard itβs crowded and not so clean). We tried the Forest Therapy Spa β Iβd give it a 9/10! There are outdoor pools at different temperatures and saunas, plus a two-level indoor relaxation area. The only downside: the food and drinks are just okay, and phones arenβt allowed in the outdoor pool area. π½οΈ On Christmas Eve, we went to the supposedly must-try Glacier Brewhouse β total letdown! π¨ Both the king crab and steak were disappointing, not at all what we expected. Fairbanks Section: The only thing worth recommending in Fairbanks is dog sledding (Firewalker Alaskan Malamute Kennel). But we hit extreme cold weather, with morning temps dropping to -50Β°C π₯Ά. They emailed in advance saying it would be photo-only, but we ended up getting a 4-minute "emergency tour." Honestly, 4 minutes was already the limit β with the wind blowing, even gloved hands went numb instantly. Then came a streak of bad luck π: Our main plans were in Fairbanks, but the day before arrival, our 4Γ4 rental got canceled without notice. No other platforms had cars available either, so we were forced to switch to a chartered car. Day 1: Chartered car to Santa Claus House β gift shop was closed π π«. Then visited the UAF Museum. Day 2: Chartered car to the Arctic Circle ππ€. Slept most of the way; the guide only woke us at photo spots. The midway restaurant was closed, so we ate instant noodles π. At the destination, just took photos with the Arctic Circle sign. Wanted to see the aurora on the return, but we were back near the hotel by 8 PM β no chance at all. And with no car, we couldnβt chase the lights ourselves. Days 3β4: Finally rented a car! On Day 3, we went ice fishing at 3 PM β maybe too late π£β. Not a single fish was caught in the whole cabin; we just sat there for 3 hours. Very poor experience. If you go ice fishing, go as early as possible! That night, following the aurora map, we successfully chased the northern lights β at least that didnβt disappoint πβ¨. Day 4: Only could book a 10 AM moose tour π¦. We were exhausted from aurora chasing the night before, and at 10 AM it was still dark β so we canceled last minute. In the afternoon, we saw posts about flight cancellations and kept checking. By evening, we unfortunately received the cancellation notice π¬π. Went to the airport to reschedule β only got a flight two days later, with two layovers. Ended up having to cancel our LA countdown plans too. Seriously, do NOT go during this period β itβs a minefield of disappointments! π£ #Alaska#TravelTips#Aurora#Fairbanks#Anchorage#Skipthese
